In Saratoga, New York, the Congress Hall Hotel burns to the ground the day before its annual opening

05/29/1866

Just after midnight, a fire broke out in the ironing and linen room of the fifty-four years old Congress Hall Hotel in Saratoga, New York. The hotel was due its annual opening the next day but in less than two hours was reduced to smouldering ruins. Damage was estimated at around $200,000 but no serious injuries were reported. (By John Osborne)